Central Queensland cattle producer David Hill and the organisers of the Eidsvold Cattle Drive have been recognised in the 2026 Australian Biosecurity Awards, announced on Monday. The awards named 12 winners in nine categories, including science and innovation, farm biosecurity, industry, government, community and education.
Hill won in the industry category for his leadership in emergency animal disease preparedness, advocacy and collaboration. A second-generation producer, he runs Clarkwood, an 8,500-hectare EU-accredited cattle breeding and fattening business. He is the founding chair of the Cattle Australia Biosecurity Working Group, which helped assess risks, share information and prepare the industry when lumpy skin disease and foot-and-mouth disease emerged in Indonesia. He has also contributed to the National Lumpy Skin Disease Action Plan, to better surveillance of disease-carrying insects, and to national debates on biosecurity funding, the National Biosecurity Strategy and AUSVETPLAN, Australia's emergency veterinary response plan.
The Eidsvold Cattle Drive won in the community category. Held every two years, it brings together about 500 cattle, 40 riders and many volunteers to retrace historic stock routes in Queensland. Because moving livestock carries disease risk, the organisers built a framework covering animal health, traceability, pest identification and disease preparedness. Biosecurity training is compulsory, and 54 volunteers and riders completed induction programmes. The drive has also raised more than $400,000 for regional charities, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service and LifeFlight.
Melinda Hashimoto, chief executive of Egg Farmers of Australia, was recognised alongside Hill in the industry category for her leadership on avian influenza preparedness. She has coordinated the layer industry's response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2020, 2024, 2025 and 2026, making sure producers received timely information and practical guidance.
Wildlife Health Australia was recognised for its work preparing for highly pathogenic avian influenza, and Kevin Cooper for more than four decades of service to Australia's biosecurity emergency response. Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins congratulated the winners.
The awards show how much of Australia's defence against animal disease rests with farmers and their own organisations, from a herd owner sitting on national working groups to a community event that trains its riders before cattle move.
Photo: CSIRO / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: Beef Central
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